Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Sept. 18, 2008). PDF text: vii, 380 p. : col. maps ; 3 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3305947. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1932.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1932.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of West Florida, 2006. / Title from title page of source document. Document formatted into pages; contains 89 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Background: Homicide-suicides are rare events in which an individual commits a homicide and then takes his or her own life. Despite extensive media coverage and a recent increase in research in this field, our understanding of these events is limited as most studies are descriptive. There is little reliable evidence regarding mental illness in individuals who commit homicide-suicide. Aims: The central aim of this study was to examine the role of mental illness in cases of homicide-suicide. The objectives were to: (1) determine the prevalence of mental illness; (2) describe the characteristics of perpetrators and victims, and the circumstances of the offence; (3) examine the psychopathology of perpetrators prior to the offence. Method: The research design was a mixed methods study of homicide-suicide. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to examine a national consecutive case series, in England and Wales, between 1st January 2006 and 31st December 2008. The sample contained 60 cases. Descriptive statistical analysis and a thematic framework analysis were undertaken on documents obtained from coroners, the police, GP medical records, records of mental health services contact and newspaper articles. The social, behavioural, offence and clinical characteristics of these incidents were reported. Results: Most of these offences were committed by men (53, 88%). The average age of perpetrators was 44 years (range 18-85). The overwhelming majority of these incidents involved close family members, mainly current or former intimate partners and/or the children of the perpetrator. Over half of the perpetrators had previously been diagnosed with mental health problems by a GP, most commonly depression. The incident was, in most cases, preceded by an actual separation from an intimate partner, or the perpetrator perceived separation to be imminent. The emotional responses to the loss of the relationship included: anger; frustration; humiliation; jealousy; desire for revenge; hopelessness, guilt and remorse. Poor coping strategies were observed, with many having a history of previous self-harm or suicide attempts, and difficulty controlling their aggression. Despite the high proportion of lifetime mental illness, few had been in recent contact with their GP for psychological problems prior to the incident. In the majority of cases, incidents involving mentally ill perpetrators were reported responsibly in newspapers. However, there were instances in which journalists sensationalised the incidents and provided stereotypical portrayals of the perpetrator. Conclusion: The findings from this study add valuable empirical qualitative data to the literature. These incidents occur in the context of existing and challenging common social issues, such as intimate partner violence, child custody disputes, an ageing population, and mental disorder. The evidence from this study shows that these perpetrators had an extreme reaction to an interpersonal crisis resulting in severe emotional distress. Perpetrators from vulnerable groups had complex needs and exhibited previous poor coping strategies that may put them at increased risk. However, prevention is difficult as these are rare events and though under distress, these individuals were less likely to seek help from services. More research is required to identify risk factors in targeted sub-groups of homicide-suicide, such as intimate partner, filicide-suicide and elderly homicide-suicide, in the context of social, economic and clinical problems.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Ronet Bachman, Dept. of Sociology. Includes bibliographical references.

Femicide, homicide involving female victims, accounts for approximately one third of all homicides in Australia. Despite its prevalence, femicide has received considerably less theoretical attention than the more common male-on-male homicide. The current study uses qualitative data from the Coroner’s brief of evidence to examine the social context of homicides which occurred between 1994 and 1998 in Victoria, Australia. All homicides for which data were available that included a female victim were included in the study, resulting in a total of 67 victims. Six social contexts of femicide were identified through the cases. Intimate femicide (22 cases, 33% of the sample) involved female victims who were killed by their intimate partner in a relationship characterised by jealousy, possessiveness and violence. These intimate femicides were usually not spontaneous acts of rage, but planned and purposive attacks, and often occurred around separation. Intimate homicide-suicides (9 cases, 13%) shared many of the characteristics of intimate femicide, but in addition to being possessive and violent, the offender was notably depressed, often due to financial problems.

Methodology of investigating specific homicides (focused on staged suicides) This diploma thesis deals with the methodology of investigating homicides and suicides, it determines the common and divergent traces left on a victim's body as well as on a crime scene and examines circumstances which motivate a perpetrator to stage a suicide. Last but not least, the thesis describes specific features of individual investigative acts. The aim of the thesis is not to bring a summary of the methodology of homicide investigation but it aims to draw the attention to the procedures typical for the investigation of murders which appear to be suicides and describes the ways how to distinguish staged suicides from the real ones. The thesis consists of six chapters. The first three chapters sum up the definitions of the terms homicide and suicide in criminal law and criminology, examine the circumstances prompting a murder perpetrator to stage a suicide, and describe the typical ways of committing homicides and suicides. The fourth chapter, which examines the important traces left on a victim's body and a crime scene, forms the core of the thesis. It brings the overview of the common and divergent traces in homicide and suicide cases and also the most frequently manipulated and faked traces in staged cases. The...